Mining method.



T. DE ROODE.

MINING METHOD.

APPLxcATloN FILED FEB. 29. 19:2.

Patented May 1, 1917;

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T. DE ROODE.

MINING METHOD.

APPLicATioN FILED FEB, 29. 1912.

Patented May 1, 1917.

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T. DE ROODE.

MINING METHOD.

APPLICATION 'ILED FEB. 29| i912. 1,224261 3,

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TRIMBLE DE Boone, or NEW YORK, 1v. Y.

MINING METHOD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1917.

Application led February 29, 1912. Serial No. 680,617.

T all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, TRIMBLE DE Rooms, subject to the Queen of the Netherlands, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mining Methods, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved method or mining which may be applied to either so-called open cut mining, or underground mining. The main object of my invention is to provide a simple, comparatively inexpensive and expeditious mining process. The particularmethod will be best understood by a reading of the following de scription and an examination ot the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown in a series of views the apparatus used and the system and method practised. In a companion application, led February 29th, 1912, Serial No. 680,618, this apparatus has been fully described and claimed.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a horizontal section illustrating conventionally the first step of my improved process.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same.

Figs; 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 are horizontal sectional views of progressive steps.

Figs. 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 are vertical sectional views of Figs. 3, 5, 7, 9, 1'1 and 13, respectively.

Fig. 15 i's a relatively enlarged detail view, conventional in character, of the shield or bulkhead and some ot the apparatus thereinemployed in carrying out my improved method. n y n y Fig. 16 yis a side elevation, partly in section of the same apparatus, certain parts being omitted, or not seen.`

Fig. 17 is a pian View Wah ai@ Shield' partly in section, on a horizontal plane.

Broadly speaking, my improved method comprises entering the material' to be mined,

when underground, through a relatively small bore and excavating a chamber thereinl to the proper extent to erect ywithin said excavation the apparatus ,whichy is utilized to proceed from said point of erection. As thev work advances the material acted upon is separated and refined, the Amajor portion of said material being'restrained atthe' rear of the advancing apparratus't'he remainder being conveyed back through la relatiy'iely"l small or primary passage to the point of beginningl where it is disposed of in any desired manner. Broadly speaking, the apparatus -comprises a movable shield or bulk,- head 1 which furnishes a working space or chamber, within which the various parts ot the apparatus are housed and operated as the work progresses, and which also constitutes a support for the side and top walls adjacent thereto. In practice the primary passage is protected by a suitable casing or lining 2, said lining being erected as the apparatus advances. The material restrained at the rear of the elemental tends to torcel the shield ahead on its course. As shown in Fig. 3, 3 represents the restrained material. By preference the primary passage enters the rear of the bulkhead or shield substantially to one side of the center whereby a substantial advantage is gained, as will be now described. Assuming that a tract of material to be mined, is limited by certain boundaries, it is obvious that the course` of the) bulkhead or shield must be more or less tortuous to fully cover said tract. To that end, said bulkhead or shield must be of a suitable construction and form to enable the same to be turned bodily in its path of travel to any desired degree, depending upon the particular course. As shown in Fig. 7, the shield is shown as having been turned in a direction opposite to that shown in Fig. 5 to proceedin a direction, for example, parallel with its original course shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 9 illustrates another progression or advance ot the shield and illustrates for the first time the advantage of placing the primary passage 2 well toone side Aofthe center of said shield, for in said Fig. 9, a lateral passage 4 is shown connecting the primary passage immediately to the rear of the shield with that part of the primary passage parallel thereto. By reason' ot forming the primary passage entrance to` the shield well' to one side of said shield, it is apparent that va much shorterlaterall passage 4 is required to make this lateral l.connection than would be the case were the primary passage 2 located centrally relativelyt'o the shield.

In Fig. 11y I have shown the shield 1 advanced to the lend of its return course where it isI shown as partially reversed as it proceeds onftothe next parallelcut. In said Fig. 11 I have also shown additional lateral connecting passages 4 4 which correspond in' purpose to the lateral passage 4.l

In Fig. 13 I have shown the shield 1 on its course parallel to the first course shown in Figs. 3 and 5. 5 is a short passage which directly connects the primary passage 2 at one return bend with the outside. The description thus far is sufficient to make clear the course of the shield and the method in which a large tract of material is operated on through a relatively small primary passage.

In this character of mining it almost invariably occurs that the strata of material being worked upon lies on an incline or grade, and to that end Figs. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 12 and 14C are drawn to indicate such grade. Since in this method of mining, water is commonly used for one or more purposes, for example, for conveying away excess material, it follows that the grade may be effectively utilized to carry off said water. To that end the aforesaid lateral passages 4 4 11 may be employed for drainage when the shield is on its downhill course. It is obvious that when the shield is working uphill, the decline of the grade at the rear is available for drainage. When, however, the shield is moving against grade, or downhill, it follows that in the absence of lateral passages it would be difficult to secure drainage. To that end, the lateral passages 41-L14 are provided as short cuts to re-gain said grade. When the shield has proceeded t0 the position shown in Fig. 13, the course of the water may be back through the primary tunnel 2 and through the lateral passage 4, or, if desired, a direct short outlet tunnel 5 may be formed and utilized for the more direct discharge of the water, and so on. In order to retain a proper grade for the primary tunnel while the shield is traveling against the Grade, the primary tunnel, as it is being formed, is gradually elevated, as indicated at 6-6-6, provision being made at the rear of the shield to allow this to be done.

While I have shown in the drawin s what represents the earth above the shield or bulkhead 1, it is obvious that at places or through its course, the overhead covering of earth might be absent, in which event the shield acts solely as a bulkhead to take the pressure of the restrained material to the rear thereof, which, as before, is useful in forcing or tending to force, the shield ahead on its course. Wherever the element 1 is' used in an open cut, as last referred to, it

is obvious that the forming of the primarylfv tunnel may be discontinued or may be al' mere passage or ditch. E In Figs. 15 to 17, I have shown, in a gen-I eral way, and conventionally, such appara-l shown in said figures, which apparatus comprises a manually controllable power driven digging device 7 a separating device 8 for the material excavated; a refining apparatus 9; a sluice 10; an adjustable tail piece l1 from which the lining of the primary tunnel proceeds; a discharge pipe 12 for the restrained material, said pipe being arranged to conduct said restrained material to the rear of the bulkhead; an inlet or return pipe 13 for the settled water to the rear of the bulkhead; a pipe 111 for conveying the excavated material to the separator 8, a shield 15 to operate as a packing around the main shield l; a plurality of movable lips 16; a power driven wheel 17 which may constitute one convenient means for advancing or aiding in the advance of the shield; hydraulic nozzles 18 are preferably employed for cutting the material adjacent to the advancing edge of the shield, all of which apparatus may be augmented as desired.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this method of mining is of particular utility when practised in so-called anti-debris districts, although in a broad sense it is not limited to use in such districts.

From the foregoing it will also be seen that in a broad sense my method contemplates forming a relatively large working chamber or space, excavating at one face thereof, recovering the values from the excavated material and progressively restraining said excavated material to the rear of the working space relatively to the face being worked as the excavation proceeds so that as the work progresses there will be constantly an adequate working space directly behind said face, the valueless or discarded material being to the rear of said space. Preferably, of course, and particularly where the mining is to be done under ground, there is a relatively small outlet passage provided through which a certain portion of the excavated waste material may be removed from the mine because of the inadequacy of said space to hold all of the socalled loose material, the balance being disposed of as above outlined through the small passage. Again, in the most preferred form, said relatively small passage, or primary .Y passage as it is referred to herein, follows the course of excavation and to the rear of "2Q the working chamber, although the partic- 'ijlfular course of said relatively small primary `passage is not essential to the invention in its broadest sense.

What I claim is: 1. A method of mining comprising forming a working chamber in the material to tus as may be employed in or about thebgbe mined, progressively excavating into one shield 1 in carrying out my process.

generally to the apparatus conventionally terial Within said chamber, refining a portion of the separated material Within said Fortlface thereof, separating the excavated mathe purpose of this case, I will refer only@ chamber, hydraulically depositing the valueless portion from the refining step to the rear of said chamber, and there restraining it, but leaving at the rear of said Working chamber an outlet passage of less crosssectional area than that of said chamber, removing through said outlet passage the unrefined separated material, and removing the excess Water from said hydraulically restrained material.

2. method of mining comprising forming a bore and an enlarged Working chamber at the front end thereof, providing protecting means Within said chamber to prevent the collapse of the Walls thereof, excavating in front of said protecting means and advancing said protecting means in the line of excavation, separating the material excavated .vithin said protecting means, refining Within said protecting means a portion of the separated material, transferring the valueless portion from the refining step to the rear of said protecting means, connecting said bore with said chamber by an outlet passage of less cross-sectional area than that of said Working chamber, and removing through said outlet passage the unrefined separated material.

tion of the separated material, hydraulically depositing the valueless portion from the relining step to the rear of said protecting means and there restraining it, connecting said bore With said chamber by an outlet passage of less cross-sectional area than that of said chamber, removing the excess Water from said hydraulically restrained material, and hydraulically removing through said outlet passage the unrefined separated material.

4. A method of mining, comprising forming a bore in a mass to be mined, separating the excavated material into coarse and line grades While in the bore, refining one of said grades to extract the value therefrom While in the bore, and depositing the tailings thereof in the bore so as to provide a progressively advancing Working space adjacent the material to be excavated, and removing the coarser value containing material through the deposited material.

. A method of mining, comprising forma bore in a mass to be mined, separating` the excavated material into coarse and iine grades While in the bore, refining the fine grade to extract the value therefrom While in the bore, and depositing the tailings thereof in the bore so as to provide a progressively advancing Working space adjacent the material to be excavated, and removing the coarser value containing material from the bore.

ing

TRMBLE DE ROODE.

Witnesses:

E. E. MORSE, IDA M. HUNZIKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

